The Missing Pieces (The Untitled Sailor Moon Project)
by Shehannagans
Summary: Beginning between Sailor Venus joining the group and the reveal of the Moon Princess, this story details the goings-on in Usagi's love life behind the action. Mamoru and Usagi's love was more than the shadow of their past lives, and where the anime fails to fill in those blanks, this story picks up the missing pieces of love and lust. Rated M for sexual material and language
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

_Hello, everyone! Thank you for viewing my first ever fanfiction! Please feel free to put criticism in a review, and thank you for your encouragement._

Usagi woke up with a warmth to her lips that hadn't been there before. The sun began to stretch further and further into her bedroom, and her begging for more sleep became quite desperate. As the outlook of more sleep drifted evermore away, she clung onto the last memories of her dream. Sadly, just as the night slipped under the horizon, so did the more vivid details of her dream.

Annoyed with her fantasy's escape, Usagi yelled out in exhaustion with a pillow over her face. She then rolled over onto her stomach with her sad, anxious head on her arms, and pondered over her dilemma.

Falling in love was easy for Usagi. Not only was she a boy-crazy hopeless romantic, she also had her fate decided for her a millennium ago. It wasn't a depressing thing like an arranged marriage, but a red string that tied her heart to another. She was destined to fall in love and have a future with one man, and no matter what, they would forever be entwined from life to life and century to century.

At least, that's what she always saw in her dreams. As she slept, her mind would show her visions of moonlight and wisps of long, blonde hair swirling around. There would be sparkles and dark hair and a smile so genuine her heart would melt just by looking at it. Sometimes they'd be someplace realistic like the Crown Arcade or school, but most of the time they were in places she had never been to before. Tall, white pillars would stand behind them with an inky sky dusted over with stars. Or maybe a field full of rainbow-hued daisies. Every morning she would wake up only remembering his ebony hair and brilliant smile. Sometimes she would run her hand on a soft fabric and remember how his hand felt in hers, but that was the extent of what she knew of him.

Then she transformed into Sailor Moon a few months back, and everything became a lot more complicated. She had all these powers and responsibilities now, and a bunch of new people had flooded her life. She loved her friends, of course, but Ami, Rei, Makoto, and now Minako have only made it difficult for Usagi to find her true love.

She used to think that her true love was Motoki – the part-time worker at the Crown Arcade. He was always so sweet to her and understanding of her little meltdowns. He was nice and cute and would probably end up owning the arcade so she would never have to worry about money. He seemed like the perfect boy to give her heart to, but he doesn't fit Usagi's memory of her mystery man. Motoki is blond and although his smile is warm, it just isn't the same as the one that sweetens her dreams.

Usagi's thoughts were interrupted by a low, quiet tummy grumble. Slowly it increased in volume as she grumpily padded to the kitchen. As she poured herself some cereal, the sad thoughts of her lost love dissipated.

* * *

"Damn this game!" screeched Usagi as she slammed her fists down on the Sailor V game at the arcade. A youma had just shot her character with some green, booger-like blob, and she just couldn't help but yell out of frustration.

"Watch it there, Odango," a smooth voice came from behind her "you're losing your last opportunity to show everyone how ladylike you can be."

Usagi pivoted on her stool quickly to glare up at the deep blue eyes of the boy who mocked her.

"Shut up, Mamoru!" she whined, trying to think of a witty comeback. There was an awkward pause as he waited for her response. His eyebrow slowly rose as he began to take a step away from her when she blurted out, "I can say whatever I want. I'm fourteen. You can't tell me what to do."

He laughed and replied, "Alright, Odango Atama. Whatever you say."

The black-haired upperclassman smiled down at her as a blush spread across Usagi's cheeks. He patted the top of her head between her two odangos, and with a swift spin, Mamoru walked away, shaking his head. Usagi stared after him, unsure of what she should be feeling. Her heart pounded, but she wasn't sure if it was out of anger, embarrassment or something else.

With a sigh, she turned back to the Sailor V game and tried her best to forget about the tall, rude boy. Yeah, his eyes were a dreamy shade of blue and were framed by eyelashes as dark as the hair on his head. _But¸_ she thought to herself, _how wonderful can someone be if he wears a green blazer with purple slacks and spends his time making fun of middle school girls? _She snorted a laugh and focused on the screen in front of her.

After most of her allowance had been deposited into the arcade game, there was a jingling bell that echoed throughout the room, signaling that new customers had entered.

"I told you she would be here," a smooth female voice said.

"Obviously, Rei. Usagi follows food and games," came a much lower, but still womanly, voice.

A shrill shriek rang through the air. "USAAAAAGIIIIII!"

Usagi's vision was clouded over by a wall of light blonde hair. Slim, strong arms surrounded her as she felt Minako push her so hard she fell off the stool. The two blondes collided on the floor with wails and laughter.

Usagi, filled with both frustration and enjoyment, asked, "Minako!? Why did you do that?"

Minako responded with only a giggle. Usagi tried to stand up, but only ended up tripping over Minako's legs. On the second attempt, her hands slipped off the spinning stool that she used to support herself. On the third try, an annoyed Rei reached for Usagi's arm and pulled her up.

"Come on, klutz," Rei grumbled, "we got some serious stuff to talk about!"

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2: Arcade Fun

"I know I'm new to the group, so let me make sure I have this right," Minako said as she sat in the stool next to Usagi, "Tuxedo Mask has two crystals, and Zoicite has five?"

"Exactly," chimed in Ami, as she brushed her blue hair out of her sapphire eyes. "Tuxedo Mask has the orange and violet crystals. Zoicite has all the others."

"How did you guys miss out on _all_ of them?" Minako questioned, her voice full of shock.

"Well, we would have had the yellow one if Usagi didn't give it away!" Rei said, pointedly glaring at the clumsy blonde.

"Hey!" yelled Usagi, "I didn't just 'give it away'!" She used air quotes to emphasize the difference between what Rei was alluding to and what actually happened.

"Oh, yeah, you believed the bad guy when he said he wouldn't hurt anyone if you gave him the crystal. You're so gullible, Usagi," remarked Rei.

Usagi's volume kept increasing as more words came out of her mouth, "I did it to save Naru and Umino. I'm supposed to protect people, right!? Isn't that my duty? Love and justice and all that!?"

The girls shushed Usagi as her voice began to gain attention from other people in the arcade. Usagi caught her mistake and stared at the shiny tiles of the floor as her hands balled into fists in her lap. Slightly hunched forward, she tried to hide her embarrassment. Not only was she ashamed of her loudness when talking about such secretive topics, but she really did feel guilty about losing the yellow crystal. Even more, because of her tactlessness, she was worried about indirectly causing Tuxedo Mask harm. Zoicite was now only two crystals away from getting his hands on the Imperium Silver Crystal, and he had enough power to find and attack Tuxedo Mask for the final two crystals. Despite what the other girls – as well as Luna and Artemis – thought about him, Usagi truly felt that Tuxedo Mask was on their side. He was a friend to them and a protector. Sailor Moon would have been seriously injured or killed multiple times if it wasn't for Tuxedo Mask's wonderfully-timed crimson roses. She cared for him, too. She wasn't entirely sure why or how since they hadn't had much of a conversation, but she felt as if he was an important part to her life.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Usagi as her fists tightened.

The normally talkative group of girls remained quiet for a bit. They understood. They knew she felt bad about giving Zoicite the crystal, but they also knew her growing crush on her masked protector, but since they were both after the Rainbow Crystals, the guardians couldn't trust him. For this reason, Usagi wasn't allowed to explore her feelings for Tuxedo Mask, and she was left with only his short bits of inspirational advice and a music-box locket.

"Usagi," a calm voice said gently.

The girls all turned toward Rei, the one who spoke up. Rei stepped forward and briefly touched one of the buns on Usagi's head.

"Your odangos," she said soothingly, "they're a bit lopsided. Want me to fix them for you?"

Surprised at Rei's niceness, Usagi could only nod. Rei's hands tenderly prodded and pulled on the hair that formed the blonde's odangos. She took several moments to smooth them into perfect knots, and after she fixed them, Rei crouched down in front of Usagi and made direct eye contact.

"It will be okay, Usagi."

With Rei full of sincerity, Usagi couldn't help but smile and lunge forward to hug the raven-haired hothead, her embarrassment quickly forgotten.

"I don't mean to ruin the moment, but we really need a game plan," said Makoto. She tightened her ponytail as Rei stood back up.

"The plan is about the same," Ami chimed in, "we need to find the Moon Princess and Imperium Silver Crystal, and for both of those things we need the Rainbow Crystals. However," she paused to pull out her handheld computer. Her slim fingers clicked away at the small keys as she said, "We don't have enough data to pinpoint where Zoicite is or when he'll attack next. We can easily conclude that Zoicite will be staying close behind Tuxedo Mask, though, but we don't have enough data on him either to determine his location or identity." Ami closed her computer with a sigh and leaned back against the game machine.

"So we have nothing to do but wait," concluded Makoto, grimly.

"We still need to be alert! I wouldn't consider that nothing," said Minako.

The girls murmured in agreement although the mood wasn't one of encouragement.

"We might as well do something productive and study!" said Ami, excitedly moving on to a topic she had more control over.

Before anyone had the opportunity to respond, Usagi's stomach let out a noisy rumble so loud that a couple of kids across the arcade stopped the conversation to turn and stare.

The girls laughed as Usagi held her stomach and complained of starvation. Since studying is not one of her strengths (which were eating, sleeping, and reading manga, by the way), she decided to stay at the arcade and grab a snack. Minako, Rei, and Ami got up to leave the arcade as Makoto began fishing in the pockets of her pleated skirt. She pulled out a slightly rusted quarter, handed it to Usagi with a wink, and quickly caught up with the other girls.

Usagi smiled and slid the quarter into the slot on the Sailor V Game. Her face was illuminated by the screen, and joy seeped through every fiber of her being. She was reminded by something that Tuxedo Mask once told her: "No matter how bad things look, you must never, ever give up." Her friends loved her and really cared about her feelings. So what if they didn't have any crystals right now? So what if they're just as clueless as to where the Moon Princess is as they were before? The guardians all had each other, and that was something very important.

Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her that she hasn't eaten since this morning's cereal. She looked down at her stomach, momentarily ignoring her game, and the short distraction caused her Sailor V avatar to miss a jump and fall to her death. A bright GAME OVER flashed across the screen, and much to Usagi's dismay, her tummy grumbled again. With a loud whine, she turned in her stool and left the arcade to grab a bite to eat.

Little did she know that a dark-haired boy was watching her from Motoki's counter with a warm smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3: A Wonderful Dream

_I'm so sorry for this taking a few extra days, but to make up for it, I made this super long and super juicy. HOWEVER, I must warn you that the story is now diving into M-rated territory. Although I keep it classy, I still feel obligated to tell you. If you are turned off by it, it is easily skippable and is not necessary to the story. I really wanted to make Usagi a more realistic character, so I did. I hope you enjoy!_

_Also, thank you for your support, and please feel free to review. (:_

"I've always loved your hair, Usagi."

"You make me believe in myself, Usagi."

A hand gently moved along Usagi's cheek, brushing back her hair and resting at the nape of her neck. That warm smile that she had become so accustomed to became larger in her vision as it became closer and closer. She could feel his breath tickle the tip of her nose as his face inched towards hers. Her heart was humming in excitement as every sensation exploded within her like fireworks. He was so close. So familiar. So…hers. Just before their lips met, he turned his head slightly to the side. Instead of kissing her like she so desperately wanted, his cheek brushed against hers until his lips rested softly on her earlobe. In a warm, smooth, masculine voice, he whispered into her ear:

"I brought you a pizza, Usagi."

And with that came a tummy grumble so loud it woke Usagi from her wonderful dream.

Her blue eyes shot open, wide and surprised.

"No," she whispered to herself.

She shuttered, slamming her eyes shut, repeating "no" over and over as she tried to remember the details of the mystery man that illuminated her dreams. Sadly, once again, all she could remember was dark hair and a smile. Only that. Yet, despite how lonely she was knowing that he wasn't real, she still felt a heat in her heart that wouldn't go away. The way he made her heart race wouldn't disappear as easily as the physical details of him. It was almost as if he was the moonlight – full of beauty and nostalgia, yet shrouded in mystery. What surprised her now, though, was that her dream left her with a feeling her gut that didn't normally get.

She was fourteen now, and obviously knew what it meant, but it still shocked her every time she became overwhelmed with lust. She laid there, eyes wide open, and thought about the sensations that were flowing through her body. Her heartbeat raced, and the cells of her skin were hypersensitive. She slowly lifted her left hand and brought it over to her right arm. Starting at her wrist, she slowly glided up her arm, her left fingertips tracing pathways up her arm, into the crease of her elbow, and up onto her shoulder. She shivered as she passed the more sensitive parts of her arm. Realizing she had been holding her breath, she gave a large exhale, and as air left her lungs, she let her fingers flutter along her collarbone and sink a bit lower. Slowly, so slowly, she moved down her torso, cupping her right breast. She gave a sharp intake of breath as she slid across her nipple, but she didn't stop. Her hand moved across her stomach towards the her waist. Her hands circled her hip, and her fingers slipped underneath the elastic band of her panties. An airy giggle escaped her lips as her hand continued south and her fingertips grazed her blonde hair. Just as she started to feel dampness wet her fingers…

Her stomach grumbled again. With a groan, she tore her hand out of her pants and flopped over onto her stomach. Again, her stomach roared, and she reached under her bed with a splayed fingers, pawing for something. She could faintly hear her bedroom door creak open as her fingertips brushed the rustling plastic of a bag of candy. She sat up in bed as she pulled the large bag of multicolored candies to her lap, and while she was munching on chewy caramels and silky fruit creams, a black cat padded up to her.

"Usagi," the cat said, "you really shouldn't eat candy for breakfast."

With her free hand, Usagi reached for the cat and rubbed behind her ears.

"It's therapeutic eating, Luna," she garbled between the sugary sweets. Luna purred under Usagi's touch. "I keep having those dreams."

With a sigh, Luna gently laid her head on Usagi's lap.

Good-naturedly, Luna scolded, "Usagi, you don't have time to think about things like romance. It's been weeks since we've had any problems with the Dark Kingdom, and you haven't done anything to try and find the Moon Princess!"

"Moon Princess," Usagi gulped down a giant sticky blob of caramel, "Shmoon princess! I'm just a girl, Luna. A girl who wants _love_!" She clasped her hands together and dreamily looked out the window.

"There won't be anything to love if the Dark Kingdom destroys everything."

"I didn't ask for crazy powers, Luna. I don't want to fight bad guys. I just want to worry about normal stuff like being late to school and boys and dinner. Ooh…I wonder what's for dinner…" her voice trailed off.

"Usagi!" Luna snapped, "you're more mature than this! We need you to focus! You're always so distracted by food and Tuxedo Mask when the other guardians and I need you the most. You're Sailor Moon, and you need to accept it!"

Before Luna was done speaking, Usagi's cheeks were already wet with fresh tears. The drops rolled down her cheeks quickly and silently, running off her chin and landing on the candy bag with a resounding _kerplunk_!

"Fine," Usagi mumbled, followed with a sniffle, "no one understands how I feel. I'm just immature, crybaby Usagi. My dreams and wishes and desires just don't care anymore." She put the candy aside and went to her closet for a change of clothes. While pulling out a blue jacket, pink t-shirt, and khaki shorts, she continued, "I'm stuck pretending that I don't feel anything other than courage. I'm sorry, Luna," she tugged on her clothes and put her unbrushed hair in a giant knot on the back of her head, "I don't think I can do that."

Slamming the door behind her, Usagi stormed down the stairs and out the front door, her fingers clinging to her jacket to keep it closed. Tears continued to make trails down her face as she rushed to the pretty park across town that had a nice, little bench with a view of a beautiful water fountain. She could be alone there.

* * *

Usagi had been there for what felt like hours, and she really wished she had brought her candy with her. However, she wasn't ready to go home and face Luna…or anyone else for that matter. She felt like a failure, not only for her inability to succeed with her normal responsibilities like school and chores, but for her duties as Sailor Moon as well. She just couldn't do anything right, and that pessimism was eating at her gut more than hunger ever had. The pit of her stomach was now hallow in a sad, lonely way, and with more tears came a greater emptiness. She wrapped her arms around herself and watched the Sun sink slowly into the horizon.

"Odango?"

She jumped at the sound of a familiar, male voice, and with much chagrin, turned to face its speaker.

"Ack!" she yelped, as she saw the jerk face Mamoru. She turned back around and quickly wiped the tears from her face. Hoping he didn't see how red her eyes were she said, "Go away, asshole. I don't feel like dealing with you today."

"I barely recognized you without the buns on your head!"

She felt her hair quickly, remembering that she just put it in a giant knot.

He continued, "Hmm, you look…" Mamoru hesitated as he sat down on the bench next to her, leaning back with his arms flexed behind his head, "older…kind of."

Usagi snorted, but quickly returned to the serious mood she had been in, "I came here to be alone." Although she was trying to act tough, her little sniffle gave her away.

He studied her face, this time without being distracted by orbs of hair on top of her head. She looked so solemn now, compared to how boisterous she usually was. Her cerulean eyes seemed tired and glazed, and her pink bottom lip rounding out into a barely noticeable pout. Another teardrop escaped from her eye, and before Mamoru could stop himself, he quickly wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

Ignoring what he had just done, "why do you want to be alone? You always have your bunch of gal pals around. It's like each of them fills up something that you can't do."

Her fists tightened and she turned slightly away from him, but still, for once, she said nothing back.

"I mean," he stammered, "Ami has the smarts that you obviously don't have. Makoto can cook. Rei's spiritual and wise and intuitive…even though she is kind of clingy…" he trailed off, thinking about the raven-haired girl that's clung to his side the past few weeks.

"And Minako?"

"I don't really know anything about her. She looks a lot like you, so maybe she's a dumb crybaby too."

Usagi didn't say anything for a bit. Then in a timid voice she whispered, "I really don't like when you insult me, Mamoru."

He looked at her, shocked. He was expecting some smartass remark or for her to stick out her tongue. She did neither. She sincerely said the truth, and he really didn't want to make those wonderful blue eyes anymore sad.

"But why, Odango?" he tried to cheer her up, "It's our thing!"

"Our thing is you insulting me?"

She seemed a bit angry now, but Mamoru was glad that there was the usual fire illuminating her eyes.

"Of course it is! I insult you, you insult me. It's what we do. You know you like it?"

He turned to face her, enjoying her company. Her presence was one of light and air, like the morning of a warm sunny Saturday. He felt as if he could really breathe, like his lungs became fuller with each breath.

He didn't realize he was staring at her until a rosy blush flooded spread across Usagi's cheeks, but she didn't dare break eye contact with him.

It wasn't until then that she realized just how blue his eyes were. They were two little oceans in his face, and the contrast with his dark hair was striking.

Dark hair.

She gasped, yet she still couldn't turn from his face. It was if she was hypnotized by him.

Mamoru lifted his hand and gently brushed Usagi's hair from her face.

_My dream._ Her insides ached with what felt like nostalgia, and before Mamoru had the opportunity to move closer to her, she lunged for him, covering his lips with hers. Eagerly, Mamoru responded, cupping her face and moving his mouth with hers.

There was an unexplainable sweetness that seemed to seep from where their lips connected. After what felt like an eternity and one second at the same time, they parted.

Dazed and stunned, they stared at each other for a moment, for not only was it wonderful, but it was also both of their first kisses.

"That was…" Usagi stammered, but couldn't finish. Mamoru's lips had claimed hers again, but this time they were softer. Lingering pecks, his kisses melted her insides, and when his tongue slowly slid across her bottom lip, she was more than happy to open her mouth. His mouth was warm and inviting, and he tasted, for lack of a better word, good. Her brain was mush, and all she could focus on was him. Mamoru's lips, mouth. His hands cupping her face and keeping her secure in his kiss. His thumb rubbed her cheekbone, and she was suddenly hyperaware of his hands.. As she thought of his hands touching her skin, her breathing became heavier, and with that came a quiet, little moan. Mamoru's lips turned up in a smile as they continued to press against Usagi's, and as his hand left her face to grasp her waist, she wondered excitedly about what she had just gotten herself into.


	4. Chapter 4: A Lonely Moon

_First off, I just want to thank everyone who has read my story. I appreciate every view, favorite, follow, and review, and I'm greatly encouraged by the response in others. I hope you continue to enjoy what I write._

_Second, I must apologize for this shorter chapter. Life is going to be busy the next few days, but I wanted to give you guys something in the meantime. Plus, the next chapter(s? haven't decided yet) is going to take extra effort as I will be writing alongside Episode 34 (of Japanese sub and of the new Viz dub)._

_Thank you again for all your support, and feel free to critique in a review. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!_

* * *

"I need air!" Usagi gasped as she leaned away from Mamoru.

He gave a small laugh and shyly rubbed the back of his head as Usagi caught her breath. She used her hand to fan herself, and Mamoru couldn't help but find the gesture adorable.

Tentatively, he played with the hair at the nape of her neck and whispered in her ear, "Have you caught your breath yet?"

His husky voice mixing with his hot breath sent a shiver down her spine, but when she turned to look at him, a strange feeling crept into her stomach, and for once it wasn't a pang of hunger. The way he looked at her…he never looked at Rei like that. Or did he? If it happened to be Rei sitting on this bench instead of Usagi, would Mamoru be kissing the black-haired beauty instead?

The spell brought on by his kisses was broken. This man – this wonderful kisser of a man – was Rei's. She froze, eyes wide with fear.

Mamoru felt Usagi's body tense up, and questioned the sudden change, "What's wrong?"

"What are we doing, Mamoru?" She stood up without a pause and smoothed out the wrinkles that had formed in her khaki shorts. "We shouldn't be doing this. You're dating one of my best friends, and an hour ago, I hated your guts. Actually," she turned to face him, "I still hate your guts."

Hurt and confused, Mamoru stammered, "E-excuse me? Who am I dating?"

"Come on!" She shouted as she emphatically threw her arms in the air, "I know you're a jerk and all, but I didn't know you were some heartbreaking player as well!"

"I'm not dating anyone!"

"Oh, really? Then why are you always going out on dates with Rei? I might be kind of dumb, but I'm pretty sure that going on dates is dating."

"Those weren't dates," he said in an attempt to defend himself, "I was just hanging out with her. She's cool, and the attention is kind of nice, but I don't see her in a romantic way!"

"Oh, and suddenly you see _me_ in a _romantic way_?"

He paused, unable to answer.

"Exactly," said Usagi, with a tone of finality.

And with that, the blonde pivoted quickly and stomped away.

"Wait!"

She halted. Still facing away from the stupid boy.

He continued, "Can we pretend this never happened? Can we go back to you throwing crumpled up failed tests and flying shoes at my head? You can call me a jerk, and I call you Odango. Like tonight never happened." He paused, noticing that Usagi's hands had formed rather strong-looking fists. "Please, Usagi?"

It was the first time he had actually said her name. Because of that, and probably only that, she muttered a barely audible, "fine" and left again. This time, though, she ran as fast as she could, for she'd much rather face Luna than see the boy she had just left behind.

Usagi grumbled incoherently until she was out of the park. It was then that she was finally able to form real sentences.

She spoke her thoughts aloud: "Damn him! Damn him and his hair and his eyes and his smile and his kisses and his hands. Oh his hands!" Her hands flew to cover her face as she shook her head with embarrassment. "Stupid, stupid Usagi. Kissing a stupid, stupid boy. Now I have to change my underwear because of some stupid boy who wears purple pants on a daily basis."

The park was especially quiet once Usagi left. The moon was soaring high above him, but for once, the moonlight didn't make him feel nostalgic. He was full of sadness as he sat alone on the park bench. He could still feel warmth where her body had pushed into his. His heart ached in a way that reminded him of the nightmares he had been experiencing for the past few months. His dreams consisted of what he assumed to be a princess begging him to find the Silver Crystal. He had no idea what the Silver Crystal was, but he definitely had his hands on two of the Rainbow Crystals. Oh, this was so confusing. He put his head in his hands, wishing the carefree blonde was still next to him, even if her lips weren't on his.

_Dammit_, he thought. He shoved his shoulders against the back of the bench, and was quickly reminded of the wound on his shoulder. With a laugh, he remembered that he went for this evening walk to distract himself from what happened with Zoicite and the Sailor Guardians. Who would have guessed that Odango Atama was the ultimate distraction?

Little did he know, once he returned to his apartment, Zoicite would give him the ultimate challenge.

* * *

_What didn't you like? What did you like? Please let me know in a review, so I can become a better writer! Thanks for reading!_


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